Identifying Items and Latent Constructs for Social Network Support and Structure Using National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 Data

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Friendship and Support Networks

Abstract

Social capital is associated with positive outcomes including overall quality of life, however, adolescents with disability have less access to opportunities where social capital develops. Given the lack of social capital measures in the literature, we utilized the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 data to identify measures of social capital. Following Scrivens and Smith’s framework, we identified items and latent factors for three sub-dimensions under social network support, including frequency, composition, and sources of personal relationship, and those for three sub-dimensions under social network structure, including feelings of social support, sources of social support, and types of social support. The factor structures yielded satisfactory loadings and model-data fit. We discuss strategies for assessing social capital with improved psychometric properties.

Authors

• Kim W. Wolowiec-Fisher, Illinois State University

• Yan Xia, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Yi Zheng, Arizona State University

• Hyejin Park